Asbestos Abatement Delays Olympic Office Construction

Asbestos is said to be the cause of a delay in the opening of the U.S. Olympic Committee’s office in Colorado Springs.

The offices were schedules to open in July of 2009 and the date has now been pushed back to late September of 2009. According to a spokesman for the developer involved in the project, the asbestos abatement procedures appear to be more extensive than previously thought.

Christopher Dann, a spokesman for the Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment Air Pollution Control Division, said there were concerns with the handling of the asbestos abatement procedure. A demolition worker disturbed asbestos in a clean area and there was not an adequate containment of the carcinogen.

The state recently re-evaluated the project and extended the 30-day permit to a year long permit for the project. Dann has said that the state is now confident that the work on the building is safe.

Exposure to asbestos can lead to a number of illnesses including asbestosis and malignant mesothelioma, a fatal form of cancer. Symptoms of the illnesses typically take between 20 and 50 years to develop and once diagnosed are difficult to treat.

Aside from the asbestos abatement, the offices will also add four additional floors to the facility and the progress is currently 50 percent complete according to Jim Johnson, president of G.E. Johnson Construction Company.

For the time being the delay is not a concern for the U.S. Olympic Committee. Spokesman Darryl Seibel said they were not negatively affected as long as the project is completed by December.

The construction is still ongoing but additional complications are reported including a lawsuit and financing issues.

Source:  http://www.usatoday.com/sports/olympics/2009-04-24-3131968234_x.htm